


wherever i'm with you

by badritual



Series: Exchange Fic [51]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M, Fluff, Hetswap Exchange, Hetswap Exchange 2020, Implied Sexual Content, Post-Canon, rough day at work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:01:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26456854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badritual/pseuds/badritual
Summary: Penelope’s first day on the job is a complete and utter disaster.
Relationships: Luke Alvez/Penelope Garcia
Series: Exchange Fic [51]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705675
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47
Collections: Het Swap Exchange 2020





	wherever i'm with you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [helsinkibaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/gifts).



> Written for helsinkibaby for hetswap 2k20!! Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Title from "Home," by Edward Sharpe.
> 
> Thanks to a Mysterious Friend for the lookover.

Penelope’s first day on the job is a complete and utter disaster. 

First, she leaves her lucky stuffed dinosaur sitting on the kitchen counter of her apartment. Then, to make matters worse, she spills most of her thermos of coffee on her brand spankin’ new computer keyboard _and_ she manages to tear a very large, very noticeable hole in the back of her pretty new skirt. (She thinks about stapling the skirt back together but, with her luck, she’d probably give herself tetanus or something.)

At least the actual _job_ went without any major hiccups, for the most part. It’s just all the other stuff that nearly drives her up the wall so that, by the time she gets home that evening, all she wants to do is kick off her heels and fall face-first into bed. 

Penelope’s planning to do just that when she toes the door to her apartment open and steps inside. Sergio slithers around her ankles like a furry serpent, tail slashing the air, and Penelope bends down to shower him with head skritches and kissy noises. 

“What, nothing for me?” 

Penelope jerks upright with a startled gasp. Luke Alvez is lounging on her couch, a bowl of popcorn resting in his lap.

“What are you do—” Penelope cuts herself short, slapping a hand against her forehead, bracelets jangling like wind chimes. “Oh, no. Date night. I forgot.”

Luke shifts the bowl of popcorn to the coffee table and gets up, padding over to her in socked feet. Sergio unwinds from around Penelope’s ankles to rub up against Luke.

“Rough day?” he asks, his hands landing heavily on her shoulders and kneading slowly. 

Penelope rests her forehead on his shoulder with a sigh. “I left Ian at home,” she mumbles, gesturing vaguely toward the kitchen, where the stuffed dinosaur is presumably still sitting on the counter. “Spilled coffee on my work computer. Tore a hole in my dress. So, yeah, I’d say it was rough.”

“You’re all tense,” Luke says, his voice dropping an octave, breath curling warmly against her cheek. 

Penelope can’t suppress a delighted shiver. “What d’you suggest we do about that?” she teases, tipping her head back to grin and him and meet his hooded gaze.

“How ’bout a nightcap—”

“ _Luke_ ,” Penelope sighs. 

He grins at her, hands slipping from her shoulders to come to rest low on her hips. “I’m fresh out of ideas.”

Penelope swats him lightly on the chest, unable to swallow down a laugh. Part of her is mildly annoyed that he’s teasing her, but she just _likes_ him so darn much. 

“You’re lucky I like you,” she says, standing on her tip toes to press a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth. “You’re also lucky Sergio’s adopted you as his own.”

“Yeah, man, wouldn’t have known what to do with myself if the cat didn’t approve,” Luke says, somehow managing to sound completely sincere.

“I have an idea of what you could do to cheer me up,” Penelope says, her tone sugary sweet. 

“Lay it on me,” Luke says, giving her a squeeze. One of his hands slips under the back of her blouse, fingers fiddling idly with the clasp of her bra.

“I’m just so achy and sore after a long day at the office,” Penelope says, hooking her index finger in his belt loop and tugging on him. “How ’bout you put those magic fingers to use and give me a massage?”

Luke’s smile widens into a full-fledged grin, dimples grooving his cheeks. “Oh, that’s all?”

Penelope giggles and gives his belt loop another playful tug. “Just for now,” she says. “But I’ve been told I’ve got a good imagination.” 

“What say we work out some of that tension, then,” Luke says, dipping down to kiss her, hands wandering to the curve of her ass. 

When he draws back, Penelope reaches up and rubs her thumb across his bottom lip, wiping away traces of her cherry-red lipstick.

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” she says, giving him a wink and heading down the hall. 

Luke follows after, running his tongue over his lips, licking the taste of her off his lips. 

Sergio knows well enough to give them their space.

*** 

“ _Sooo_ , how’d your first day go?”

“It… went.” Penelope draws her knees to her chest and tucks her phone between her cheek and her shoulder. 

Luke leans in and tugs at the lacy strap of her bra, slipping it down so he can press a kiss against the soft, milky white skin of her shoulder. Penelope gently bats him away, mouths _stop distracting me_ before turning her full attention back to her phone. 

“That bad, huh?” Emily huffs in sympathy. 

“The work was fine. Everything else went wrong,” Penelope says, pausing to glance over at Luke. “Well, almost everything.”

“Oh?” Emily suddenly sounds too interested. “Is Luke there?”

“How’d you know that?” Penelope wrinkles her nose.

“It’s my job,” Emily deadpans, before adding, “He mentioned he was going to see you after work.” 

“Yeah,” Penelope says, resting her cheek against the top of Luke’s head. “He’s here. Say hi, honey.”

Luke leans in, rests a hand low on Penelope’s stomach. “Hi, honey.”

She nudges him away with a laugh. “Dork. Anyway.”

“Don’t be a stranger, Garcia,” Emily says, and Penelope can practically hear the smile on her tone. “I’m sure Luke’ll continue to give us updates as needed, but you’re welcome to stop by for a visit any time.”

“I’ll pencil you into the schedule,” Penelope jokes. “Miss you, Em.”

“Miss you too, girl.”

After they say their farewells, Penelope ends the call and sets her phone on the nightstand. Luke slips his arms around her and tugs her against his bare chest, hunkering down with her under the covers. 

“Now, where were we?” he asks, hooking his leg with hers. 

“The afterglow,” Penelope sighs, letting her eyes shut lightly. She rubs a hand over Luke’s bare chest. “Probably should’ve just let that go to voicemail but I missed the sound of her voice.”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind sharing,” Luke says, peppering a few light kisses over her neck and shoulder before spooning behind her. 

Penelope tugs his arm securely around her waist. “Me, on the other hand? I’m a jealous lover.”

Luke snorts out another laugh. “Oh?”

“Oh yes,” Penelope says. She shifts until she and Luke are pressed chest to chest. 

“Lucky me.” Luke draws her close and kisses her again, hands framing her face. 

Penelope smiles against his lips and kisses him back, tongue darting between his lips. She feels his fingers slip into her hair, his tongue stroking deep, pressing firm against her thigh. 

“Ready for another round?” Penelope teases.

“Always for you,” Luke teases right back. 

Grinning, Penelope pushes him into the pillows and kisses the smirk off his face. 

For a day that got off to a pretty rotten start, she can’t imagine finishing it on a better note.


End file.
